Recycling The Unrecyclable

Recycling, for most of us in the UK, has become second nature. Depending what council borough you live under, materials from tin foil to glass can be recycled at home and collected on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Some items, however, still go in those black bags, destined for landfills or to clog our oceans. One company is determined to ensure that this may not be the case much longer.

Recycling Technologies, a Swindon-based company, have developed a process to recycle the unrecyclable. Over the last six years, they have developed a machine to combat the eight million tonnes of plastic waste that enters our oceans every year. The RT700, which sounds like something straight out of Star Wars, shreds and dries the plastics that can’t be recycled. The waste is then heated to 500C so that it breaks down into oil. This oil can then be sold back to the industry. Recycling Technologies Founder and CEO , Arian Griffiths explains:

“It was oil, it became plastic and all we’re doing is taking it back to the oil.”

Recycling Technologies are hailing the RT700 as “the future of plastic recycling” and hope to roll out the machines across the world. Their website explains:

“At Recycling Technologies, we believe that plastic is a fantastic material but only 12% is recycled at the end of its life. To solve the problem of plastic when it becomes waste, more capacity to recycle plastic waste is urgently needed.”

In order to begin building and installing RT700 machines commercially, Recycling Technologies have begun seeking investors through a Crowdcube campaign. At present, they have funded 71% of their target with twenty-five days left.

“The future of plastic is in our hands” reads the message on Recycling Technologies’ website, spreading hope that we can make our planet a cleaner, greener place.

To find out more about Recycling Technologies, visit their website. To invest in the RT700, visit their Crowdcubepage.